Art of pumping gasiform fluids



.lane 12, 192s. 1,673,678

`F. A. HOWARD ART OF PUMPING GASIFORM FLUIDS Filed 'July 21', 1922 Patented June 12, 1928.

* UNITED y.STATES 1,673,678 PATENT OFFICE.

rRANx A. nowAimoE ELrzAnE'rmNEw JERsEY,`Ass1eNoR *ro STANDARD oir. DE-

` vELornEN'r COMPANY, A coRPoRATIoN or DELAWARE.

Application med my 21,

The present invention relates to the art of umping and compressing air or gasiform uids and will be fully understood from .the following description taken in vconnection 5 with the accompanying drawing which represents in sectional. elevation and somewhat diagrammatically for the sake of clem-ness one form of embodiment of the invention. Notwithstanding the excellent mechanical l work on the detail of prevalent constructions of air compressors, certain inherent limitations render their operationunduly high in cost and subject to interruption under heavy duty conditions.- lTight joints with moving l parts are `diilicultmto maintain ,with` such tenuous liuids as air and thelike.'v Moreover the thermal cumulation factor is progressively more serious with vlarger units and to minimize detrimental t effects, elaborate auxiliary provisions for cooling are required. I

By the present invention I secure the end results of a gaseous system, in` superior degree, and` with theioperating reliability and efficiency of the best Lliquid pumping sysl tems. As aninitial aid to the understanding of the invention, itlmay be statedfin general outline that the air or s is loaded into a carrier'liqUid, the liquid system is passed through a pumping element and the air or gas in them se arated from the carrier liquid, available att e' desire'diilocation and under the desired pressure.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference character 1 designates a sa tank having an inlet pipe 2 for air forwarded by a suitable low pressure pump or blower 3, preferably a rotary blower. A beater chamber 4 receiving the air through a perforated diaphra or screen 5 is prom vided with a beater s aft 6 rotated by suitable means, such as a motor 7 and carrying beater blades 8 which. i'nterdigitate with blades 9 fixed on the wall of the chamber. Openin 10 admit the carrierli uid from the tan chamber. Various liqui s may be used, for example, an aqueous solution of aliphatic sulfonates, solutions of soaps, sa onin licorice extract, carbohydrates and a buminous substances, also non-aqueous organic frothing liquids. The choice of the liquid will also depend upon the as being pumped. The tank is equipped wit a gauge lass 11; and a deflector 12 may be provided or directing the foam from the beater toward the pipe 13 which leads to a suitable `and an off -take 1922. Serial No. 576,579.

pump 14, which may be of the reciprocating type, or of the multi-stage rotary or centrifugaltype. From the pump a pipe 15 leads to discharge against a suitable baiile 16 iii :i tank `17. A heating coil 18 is provided for furnishing sufficient heat to weaken and breakdown the foam and release the air. The tank 17 is equipped with gauge glasses;

ipe 20 for the compressed air leads from tiie upper end, while a pipe 2l`ilpturns the dc-aerated liquid to the beater tan In operation, the air supplied through the line 2 is beaten u into as foam of suitable body with the carrierliquid; the foamed liquid is then picked up by the pump 14 and is forwarded under the desired pressure to the breaker tank175here the foam is broken and the air is separated and is then available by the outlet'line 20, while the de-aerated liquid is returned to the beater tank for reuse, the feed thereto being regulated by the valve 22. In some cases, 1t may be desirable to a. plycooling means or jackets to the piping tween the two tanks. g y

. It will be noticed that since the air while being e(pumped on the pressure line is envelop an dispersed in the liquid, virtually it is a liquid that is pumped, and correspondin ly I am enabled to pump with the higher e ciency attainable` in a: liquid system and also compress as desired, and where using a multi-stage rotary or centrifugal pump I eliminate valve-mechanism troubles. Moreover as the air when being compressed is dispersed through liquid, the heat of compression is rapid y distributed and dissipated and the liquid itself furnishes a cooling system.

Although I have mentioned air more particularly, I contemplate within the purview of my invention the pumping of various gases and vapors for various duties; and it will be noticed that gases of a corrosive character can be especially well handled in this manner as action on the working parts is lessened by the enveloping inert carrier liquid. Also by connecting u the apparatus in return circuit it may be used as a circulating pump; or as a compression pump for certain refrigerating systems.

While in describing m invention, I have referred to various speci c details, it will be understood that this isexplanatory and illustrative and not limitative. Nor is the invention to be considered as dependent upon the accuracy of anytheories or reasonsl mentioned in explanation of the advantageous.

results attained.- On thecontrary the invention is to be understood as limited only as defined in the following claims in which it is my intention to claim all inherent novelty as broadly as the yprior art permits.

What I claim is: l

1. Apparatus for compressing air, which comprises a beater, a ltank for supplyingr liquid to the lower lportion of the beater and for receiving foam overflowing. from the top thereof, means for' supplying air to Ythe bottom of the beater, a multi-stage centrifugal pump for forwarding foam'fromfsaidtank, a second tank into which theY pump disf charges, a'pipe' coil in `said second tank for supplyingheat and a connection from the said second tank tothe vfirst mentioned-tank for returning liquid.l f

2.,Ap aratus for pumping gasiform fluids wich comprises a beater,means yfor supplying a gasiform fluid to the beater, means for supplyingliquid to said beater, a pump for compressing the foam produced by` said beater, a tank into which the ump discharges, anda pipe for returningiqu'id to the beater. i f

` 3.Apparatus y for pumping *gasifomn fluids, which comprises a beater,` meansfor supplyingV a gasiform :fluid to 'the' beater, means'for supplying liquid'tofsaid beater, a pump for lcompressing' theA foam produced by said beaten'a tank into which the pump discharges, means forfbreakinlg the 'foam, and a pipe vfor returnirng,v liquid to the beater. p y 4 4.y Apparatus for" 'pumping V"gasiforrn fluids, which. comprises means for 'foaming the gasiform fluid in a liquid carrier, a pump `the gasiform fluid in a liquid carrier, means for lcompressing the foam, and heating means for breaking the foam and separatingthe gasiform fluid from the liquid carrier.

v6.- Apparatus vated pressure, which includes means'ffor vfoaming the gasiform fluidv in a liquid `carri'er, means` for compressing and forwarding the foam, means kfor 4separatingthe gasiform fluid therefrom, and means 'for' delivering said fluid at' said pressure, v

7. The improvement'inl-the'art Ofcom'- for `pumping gasiform V fluids and delivering thesamevat angelepressing air, which comprisesformingl the air into a foam 'with a carrierli uid'feolnpressingsaid foam to the desir vpressure, separating14 the air from lthe foann andv yreturnin t ve separated: carrier foam orming' means for 're-use.

8. The improvement in the art of pumping gasiform'fluidfs and deliveringthe same at an elevated pressure which comprises forming the gasiformfluid'into a foam -withfa `liquid to lthe n carrif-ir-liquid,I compressing said foam, for- 'warding it under compression `to the `desired (point,separating the gasiform fluid, anddelivering Athe rsame' 'at lsaidpressu-re'.' f i 9. The improvement in the art of pumping gasiformfluids, lwhichcom rises form- Y 4ing the igasiform fluidi intoa 0am withi-a carrier liquid, compressing land forwarding the foam 'so' produced, and expellingk the fluid therefromby heat@ f i f FRNKA. 1"iniwnmi, 

